2012 Vega Sicilia Valbuena, Castille-La Mancha
A$277.63
Availability:
Out of stock
SKU
VEGVAL126
The 2012 Valbuena was cropped from a vintage with a very dry and warm summer that resulted in very healthy grapes. Since the 2010 vintage, this wine is fermented plot by plot following the findings from a soils study they did. The élevage is in French and American oak barrels that on average lasts some 18 months followed by another 18 months in 20,000-liter oak vats, but of course some lots had more time in barrique and others more time in vat. It has ripe tannins and a powerful mouthfeel but with a soft texture. Even if it's not widely mentioned, it always has had some French grapes, mainly Merlot, but this 2012 is the first Valbuena ever to be really 100% Tempranillo—because the Merlot didn't behave well in this warm and dry year. It follows the path opened by the 2010, more precise and elegant, rounded by that extra time in larger vats to finish polishing the tannins. I find this 2012 halfway between 2010 and 2011. It has depth and elegance, more serious than Alión, which is always the (maybe unfair) comparison. 174,545 bottles and some larger formats were filled in April 2014.
95 points Luis Gutiérrez robertparker.com Drink: 2017-27 March 2017
95% Tinto Fino and 5% Merlot.
Valbuena is the pure expression of a red at Vega Sicilia, with an ageing process, from barrel to bottle, which lasts five years and gives its name: Valbuena 5º (5th).
Both new and used 225-litre French and American oak barrels and 8.500-litre vats are used for a long and complex process for perhaps, the wine which has evolved the most in the last few years.
Valbuena 5º presents its splendor in each vintage and a direct view of the greatness of its soil, where 140 hectares of land are dedicated to this wine; weather conditions each year make a distinction on the vintage.
Thanks to the extraordinary job in the vineyard and a second year ageing in tanks, today Valbuena 5º 2013 is vibrant and rich.
| Product/Service Sold Out | Yes |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | Red Wine |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Castilla La Mancha |
| Varietals | Merlot, Tinto Fino |
| Vintage | 2012 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Wine Points | 95 |
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